As a virtual assistant, one of your marketing strategies to get new clients might be searching for them in online groups.

Places like Facebook and LinkedIn make it easy for us to find groups to socialize in.

And this marketing strategy can be very effective—if you know how to work it.

Here’s a secret:

Join groups that include YOUR specific target market! And then make real connections and relationships with those in the group.

Let me explain in more detail.

First, joining virtual assistant groups is a great idea. But not necessarily a place to find clients.

Remember—everyone else in there is looking for clients and building their business as well. Other virtual assistants are NOT your potential clients. (Unless that’s exactly who you’re targeting—that’s a different story—and a different conversation!)

So, should you bother to join virtual assistant groups?

Yes!

VA groups can be a great resource for you. You can get answers to questions so that you don’t stay stuck. For example, sometimes you just need a quick tech answer, or you’re wondering if other VAs have used a certain kind of software, and if they like it. Groups are great for that.

And don’t forget about the search feature in groups. You can often find a quick answer by typing your keyword(s) in to the search box and find threads that answer your question.

They’re also useful in making sure that you don’t feel so lonely in this industry. Many VAs feel isolated when they no longer have co-workers or any face-to-face contact with others. You might have family and friends who don’t really “get” what it is that you do, and aren’t really supportive. This is where you can come in to a VA group and find other like-minded people to support you.

If you visit a VA group enough, participate and help others out, it’s also a great place to network and make connections with other virtual assistants. You just might end up with a referral partner or two. Connect with VAs who offer different services and you can outsource work to them, start building a team or refer clients to them.

Being active in VA groups is also a way to get some free coaching. The groups are often run by VAs or VA coaches who have been in the industry for quite a while. There are also active veteran VA group members who will jump in, answer questions and offer advice. Think of it as a way to shorten your learning curve and move forward just a little faster in your business.

If you’re thinking of working with a VA coach to advance your business, getting involved in their group is a great way to get a sense of their style and see if you’d be a good fit to work together.

What doesn’t really work in these VA groups?

Only stopping in when you need more clients, and asking the group if they have anyone to refer to you.

Creating posts in the groups and/or linking to articles on your blog that explain the importance of hiring a VA. (This is a group that’s already filled with VAs, remember?)

Posting about your MLM or direct sales opportunity that you do on the side of your VA business.

Now let’s talk about joining groups that include your target market.

If you’re looking for new potential clients online, joining groups where THEY hang out is a smart marketing strategy.

I do understand that this can be a little out of your comfort zone. But you CAN do this!

First, you want to check the group rules/profile and make sure that they also accept people in the group that support their industry. (That would be you.)

Make sure to read all group rules, and follow them. You want to be respectful of the group owner.

Start going through the posts in the group and getting a feel for the conversations and style. You don’t necessarily have to jump in and post something right away.

If the group owner asks new members to make a new post and talk about yourself, take advantage of that. Make sure you let them get to know you as a business owner—but also you on a personal level. People do business with those that they know, like and trust.

Do you see any questions being asked in the group that you can help with? Then go ahead and post your answer. Be helpful!

Do NOT constantly spam the group with posts all about what you do and links to your site. That’s a quick way to get kicked out.

Think about what value you can add to the group. Maybe you can create a post that solves an issue you see mentioned in the group over and over again. Perhaps there is a tool or software you use that saves you tons of time and money that you could share with the group.

All in all, remember that these are real people and your goal is to develop real relationships. Be genuine, not spammy. Realize that it takes time and consistency to build these relationships.

You don’t meet someone on the street and immediately ask them to marry you, right? It’s the same thing here. You need to give this marketing strategy time, and establish relationships. If done right, it can be very effective for connecting with new clients.

In the virtual world, there is quite a debate over sites like Fiverr and Upwork, and if it’s worth your time as an online service provider to look for work in those places. I’ve heard it all, and arguments for and against those types of sites are very interesting.

I’m the type of person who believes that you need to do your own research and form your own opinions. This is why I was quite interested when the creator of a site called Freeeup, Nathan Hirsch, reached out to me and asked if I thought virtual assistants would be interested in getting work there.

What is Freeup?

The idea behind Freeeup is that it connects those in the ecommerce industry who are looking to outsource to virtual service providers at all different skill levels. Naturally, I had a lot of questions for Nathan.

Getting Answers

I only want to recommend credible sources to the New VA Advice community, so I wanted to know more about his company before I recommended that people check it out. I thought the best way to get the information out there to the masses was to record an interview with Nathan and then provide it to everyone so that people can make their own decisions.

Some really great questions were sent in, along with a wonderfully healthy and respectful conversation about online working sites. People seemed to be coming from two very different places with their opinions.

Different Opinions

On the one hand, you had people who felt that these sites demean service providers by offering such low rates. They mentioned that the sites are often littered with scams and fake job opportunities.

When I started my virtual assistant business, I personally did not have much luck finding work on these types of sites, as potential clients only seemed to want to work with the lowest bidder. And I knew I was worth more than that. This is why I developed my own twist to online relationship marketing in order to connect with clients that I loved to work with.

On the other hand, I’ve heard from virtual assistants who say that sites like these really helped them get their start. They were able to build their confidence in their skills, and were eventually able to move on to market and get clients of their own.

Some have told me that it was a great way to practice certain skills that they wanted more experience in before they felt they could offer it as an area of expertise in their virtual assistant business. And others have told me that they’ve even gotten one or two clients who then decided to work with them in a long term, one-on-one relationship and leave the site altogether.

The Interview

Naturally, a lot of these concerns came up in my interview with Nathan. He feels that Freeeup is different than Upwork and Fiverr in a lot of unique ways.

Here are the questions that I asked during the interview:

Can you give us an idea of the types of services that potential clients need who come to Freeeup looking for help?

Is there a fee for the virtual worker to sign up? Is there a fee for the potential client to sign up?

Your site mentions one could work with an online worker and pay anywhere from $5 to $50. Most virtual assistants that I know who are serious about creating a business that can support them full-time would need to charge their clients a minimum of at least $25 to $30 to start. Do you have a lot of opportunities on your site for virtual assistants on that $50 end that you mention on your site?

What do you do at Freeeup to help avoid “scam job opportunities” for virtual assistants? For example, there are a number of interview scams going on at other sites lately.

What is your vetting process for both virtual assistants and the potential clients coming to your site?

What is your commission structure when it comes to payment for the virtual assistants?

What is the payment process? How and when do the virtual assistants get paid?

How does your “try working with someone for free for 3 hours” program work?

Do you have a rating system on your site for the virtual assistants performing the work?

Your Turn

As I said, I feel it’s really important to form your own opinions when it comes to your business and what’s right for you.

You’ve now heard what’s worked for me personally to grow my business and what has worked for some other virtual assistants, as well as more information about Freeeup.

Have you used an online site to get work for your business? What was your experience? Would you try a site like Freeeup after listening to the interview?

If you decide to sign up, let them know that you’ve read this article. At this point, I’ve become a referral partner. But I would love for you to come back and tell me your thoughts. Give me your feedback, tell me what you think of the site and if it’s something worth my mention.

This article is going to cover two different situations when it comes to you, the virtual assistant, offering a proposal or estimate to a client.

Scenario #1: You are rocking out your marketing and have made contact with a potential client. They tell you their needs, ask if you handle that type of work as well as what you charge, and you want to respond to them.

Scenario #2: You are a member of a virtual assistant directory that provides RFP (request for proposal) service for people looking for virtual assistants, and you’d like to respond to one. I’ll also tell you where to find those directories in this article.

Step #1: Follow Directions

First and foremost, follow the directions they laid out to respond to the RFP. Maybe they want a certain thing noted in your subject line, certain things listed in a particular order or you need to attach some type of documentation that they request from you. Make sure that you do just that. You need to show them that you can follow directions right from the start. Attention to detail is so important. They also want to know that you can follow directions.

Step #2: Answer All Questions

This might seem simple but people miss this. Make sure that you cover each task/item that they list and how you would accomplish it. Don’t skip sections or questions. If they ask for a certain number of references, make sure you provide that number of references. If they ask a question about why you think you’re best for the task, tell them why.

Step #3: Do Your Research

Learn a little about the prospective client. Visit their website so that you can mention in your RFP how your particular expertise can help them with their particular type of work with an example of how you’ve helped another such client.

Step #4: Easy Contact Info

Provide all pertinent contact information for you and your business. It should be easy to read, with clickable links if possible. Make sure that all of those places they can contact you are up to date. If it’s your website, that should be up and running. If you mention a social media platform, you should be active there.

Step #5: Skills Count

Make sure that you have the skills and can do what is requested. If they mention that they’re looking for someone experienced in a certain area, don’t tell them that you’re a fast learner. Apply for RFPs that help you to feel confident in your abilities, ones you know that you would be a great fit for given your skills and experience.

Step #6: It’s About Them

Remember, it’s about what you can do for them and how you can fill their need. Don’t go on and on with “I” and “me” and all the things you know how to do. Keep your responses relevant to their needs and how you can handle it for them.

Where can you find directories with RFPs?

As I mentioned, there are some great virtual assistant directories where you can find new clients. A number of them require a monthly fee in order to view the RFPs but you would consider that as part of your marketing budget. It’s well worth it if you start to get some regular clients rolling in after putting forth the time and effort.

Here are my top suggestions:

(Disclaimer: some of these links are my affiliate links and I could make a commission if you sign up through them.)

As a new or would-be VA, one of your biggest questions when starting out is how to get those clients lined up and rolling in. It’s something that we all struggle with in the beginning. There are things that work like a charm and things that sink like a stone.

My friend Cindy Bidar of the Educated VA decided to round up some virtual assistant friends (yours truly included) and share the secrets that work for us when it comes to getting clients.